WASHINGTON, January 10 (Sputnik) – Providing the Kurds of Iraq with weapons is crucial in defeating Islamic State (IS) extremists, senior member of the US Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), Jim Inhofe, has said in a statement.
According to the statement, the Kurds, who currently share a lengthy border with IS, have requested assistance to continue fighting against IS, which has ceased vast territories in Iraq and Syria.
"I strongly urge that sufficient resources be directed to the Kurds so that they are fully empowered to defeat ISIL [IS]. Resources should include, at a minimum, training, light and heavy weapons, vehicles, counter-IED [Improvised Explosive Devices] support and support equipment so that the Kurdish refugee population can safely return to their homes that were previously occupied by ISIL," Inhofe stressed.
The Senator emphasized that equipping the Kurds is not a responsibility of the United States only and urged international anti-IS coalition allies to increase their support too.
IS, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), is a Sunni jihadist group that has proclaimed the establishment of an Islamic caliphate on the territories under its control in Iraq and Syria.
The extremist group, known for its violent tactics, has forced thousands of people, mostly religious minorities, to flee their homes.
